What promises to be the largest mixed-use development in Forsyth County may come to McFarland Parkway. The yet unnamed project from RocaPoint Partners would mix residential, commercial and hotel uses at the southwest corner of GA-400 and McFarland Parkway and hopefully elevate this neglected portion of the county. But the project certainly isn’t without concern.

The development would sit on 134 acres, 43 of which are unbuildable thanks to being in wetlands near Big Creek. 430 apartments are planned, some of which are senior living. 92 single family homes and 168 attached homes are also included bringing the total residential component to 690 units. The amount of commercial footprint varies from a minimum of 250,000 square feet up to a max of 550,000. Two hotel properties are included but will likely be suite products and not full-service.

Six years ago this parcel was zoned mixed-used (or MPD in the Forsyth UDC parlance). The plan was largely a strip mall concept with big-box retailers and apartments. A few years ago the plans were amended to permit apartments to be built without a commercial component. Today you can see these large and undesirable garden-style apartments along Ronald Reagan Parkway. Commercial development remained elusive.

RocaPoint’s concept is promising and unique for a few reasons. First, it potentially pumps hundreds of millions of dollars into McFarland Parkway. This is desperately needed.

Second, the developer would pay for a short extension to the Big Creek Greenway. The new path would extend behind the residential portion of the development and end at a newly constructed trailhead on Ronald Reagan Parkway with more parking and a new bathroom. But more important than this, it links the trail system up to a commercial development, something akin to the Atlanta Beltline. This is certainly more forward than Alpharetta’s near-term plans for its greenway.

The project is promised to be upscale. They’ve inked partnerships with noted mixed-use architect Lew Oliver and homebuilder Monte Hewett. In a public meeting Oliver made the bold claim that this development will be “more sophisticated than Avalon”.

And that gets into the concerns on the project. While this blogger would love to see an Avalon-like development in his backyard, comparisons to Alpharetta’s crown jewel are certainly premature and probably overly optimistic. Here’s why.

First, the commercial development is anemic compared to Avalon. RocaPoint is way too heavy on residential, in particular on the southern end of the property. Forsyth’s planning staff agreed and suggested a smaller residential footprint, a suggestion the Planning Commission unfortunately ignored this week when they signed off on all 690 residential units.

Second, the property is awkward in layout. The developer couldn’t get the Wendy’s restaurant and gas station properties under contract so the project wraps around them. The entire development is bisected by Ronald Regan Parkway, a four-lane divided road that isn’t exactly a walkable road to traverse.

Third, the hotel properties are lower end and not full service. They are some distance away from the commercial core. Office space is also less than Avalon.

RocaPoint lacks experience with projects of this significance. It poses a risk that the deal could fall through, something that weighs heavy on the minds of those concerned about granting more apartment entitlements on McFarland. A great deal of effort was expended to condition the project’s residential component to be high-end, appealing to rich empty nesters. Hopefully, like at Avalon, the price point will be high enough to discourage residents with children from moving in and adding to already overcrowded schools. But if RocaPoint skips town or goes belly up, all bets are off.

And finally, this project is flying way under the radar. By the time Avalon was at the Planning Commission stage, the North American Properties PR and branding machine was in full force and everyone was talking. There has been scant coverage in the media for RocaPoint. The derelict reporting in this Forsyth County News article last week was embarrassing and lacking of detail. Is there a reason this is being considered and approved in a vacuum?

Nevertheless, the principals at RocaPoint have been pleasant and professional to this concerned citizen, even when pushed hard in negotiations. They’ve not resorted to name-calling like their counterparts at North American Properties. That goes a long way. And while they don’t have mixed-use experience, these guys have worked in the restaurant development business. The potential restaurant lineup here is very promising, something we’ll write about tomorrow.

While there is a lot to be concerned about in the RocaPoint development, there is reason to be optimistic about the future of McFarland Parkway. That can’t be all bad.

“The yet unnamed project from RocaPoint Partners would mix residential, commercial and hotel uses at the southwest corner of GA-400 and McFarland Parkway and hopefully elevate this neglected portion of the county.” I think you meant to say southeast corner.

Guess it depends on which way you look at the map. McFarland almost runs north/south when it crosses GA-400. In that way, this parcel is on the southwest corner. But if you think of GA-400 running north/south then yes, it would be the southeast corner.

As the managing director of Smart Growth Forsyth County, I’d like to see this property evolve into something distinctive from, not equal to, Avalon. By virtue of it sitting in the Big Creek Watershed, adjacent to the banks of Big Creek and with Greenway access to Big Creek, maybe this project could be marketed as environmnentally friendly, i.e., LEED standard buildings, solar paneled roofs, solar lighting on walkways, farm to table restaurants and markets, etc. There’s an opportunity here for Forsyth County to distinguish itself from its neighbors. This would be a great step in that direction.

“Today you can see these large and undesirable garden-style apartments along Ronald Reagan Parkway.”

I somewhat take offense to this comment as I reside in one of these complexes.The current one being built will fill up very fast – much faster than the Avalon has, which is nearly begging folks to move in. I almost did….

Waterstone at Big Creek I feel is very desirable. While I agree the immediate area surrounding it is not what most might look for based on the view from the road, as half of Ronald Reagan Parkway is empty green space. Personally I think it is a great road for an evening run, and you can walk to the Greenway from the complex. But of course you have that Wendy’s, a Waffle house, and the infamous Asian Spa around the corner which are not easy on the eyes. I agree and believe that whole little strip needs to be torn down, as it looks dated and doesn’t fit direction the area is trying to go. The Shell station might be the worst gas station I ever been to – please somebody buy them out!

Anyway, despite some of these eye sores, you are still only one mile from The Windward community, and the Publix shopping center off McGinnis Ferry is nice. The Jamestown neighborhood is finally finished and sold out of single family homes. This area is ready to explode, and those apartments are very nice. I don’t know how $1,200 one bedroom apartments that are 95% leased are “undesirable.” If you want undesirable, look at half of the apartments in Gwinnett or up in Cumming.

Anyway, I am excited about this development and hope they do it right. Thanks for the write up and I look forward to following the progress of it.